Bills' Bay Day Gives New England Route to AFC East Lead - Best of NFL Week 10
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The tenth week again delivered, with a major surprise for the Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many fans into the NFL
That result could have created opportunities for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their 8-2 competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the MVP award
Analysis - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to address
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a row against the Dolphins but were second best from the start as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 victors in an eye-opening result - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third quarter and first points in the fourth - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to prepare but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the league's best running game was crucial too, with Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and just over half their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the pair from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine-minute drive yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that Miami turned into a touchdown just later
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - rather than the calm, disciplined, balanced Bills we've witnessed this year
Miami have served up a bit of everything this year so the jury's out on whether this is the start of something, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the New England are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the top of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two squads in the NFL, all AFC sides, but could they be the top team?
One could pick holes in New England, Denver and the Colts actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined twenty-four wins achieved against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Orchard Park seems like a statement
Their two defeats occurred in new head coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive victories, just like the Broncos, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to prepare was huge
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he definitely earns point for bravery after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his team to success
The defensive unit is reliable and first-year running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth ball carrier to break 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown
Although you can debate who 'the top team' is technically, the Pats should be favourites to end with the best record thanks to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting Baltimore is challenging too, but the Broncos have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also compete for first place but face the same problem) and additionally the Packers on the fixture list
The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There is a long way to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Next Week Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three eight and two sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both put up 40 burgers to reach 7-2 before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a contest
Both could realistically be undefeated as too - particularly the Los Angeles as their pair of losses occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the last kick deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score
The Seahawks were also defeated to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in week one, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely among the top teams in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor could be on for a record season after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and adding an additional forty-two {receiving yards